Tag: Retail

  • China Jo-Jo WeChat retailer opens

    China Jo-Jo WeChat retailer opens

    China Jo-Jo Drugstores has opened a retailer on Tencent’s WeChat social media platform. The China Jo-Jo WeChat foray might be carried out by way of its subsidiary Hangzhou Jiuzhou Grand Pharmacy Chain. It’s the first Hangzhou based mostly pharmacy to launch shops on WeChat, which has greater than 500 million lively customers.

    China Jo-Jo says the transfer, following partnerships with Alipay and Ali-Well being, is a part of a broader technique to construct its personal On-line-to-Offline (O2O) ecosystem for its pharmaceutical and healthcare merchandise.

    In late 2014, Tencent unveiled its on-line service provider shops for small to medium measurement companies based mostly on its common WeChat platform, and it has shortly developed into an all-in-one cellular advertising service. WMS permits retailers the alternatives to interact with their clients in real-time and collect knowledge based mostly on shopper profiles and spending behaviors. Retailers may also use WMS to replace product info and handle stock and merchandising course of. WMS permits clients to pay by WeChat Pay, a handy cost technique just like Alipay. “As a well known cost technique that clients already belief, WeChat Pay can drastically improve on-line transaction movement for WeChat Retailers. By opening our pharmacy on WMS platform, China Jo-Jo hopes to draw a a lot bigger and constant shopper base by implementing higher knowledge mining, goal advertising and gross sales promotions corresponding to group-buy, present certificates, flash sale, coupons and loyalty program,” the corporate stated in a statemet.

    By integrating our in-store IT system with WMS’s highly effective cost, O2O and repair spine platform, we intend to rework our brick and mortar shops into “Clever Pharmacies”.

    China Jo-Jo President, Li Qi, added: “In a standard drugstore, there’s solely one-way interplay between the shop and its clients. Now in our O2O drugstores, we and our clients can simply talk with one another via WeChat platform anytime and anyplace. Shoppers can now take pleasure in customised service and acquired extra focused advantages reminiscent of coupons and member reductions. For us, we will now construct, monitor and analyse quite a few knowledge on buyer spending sample, which can be used to enhance the on-line buying expertise as an entire. O2O enterprise options will stay an integral a part of China Jo-Jo’s technique sooner or later.”

  • Gordon Ramsay opens Marina Bay Sands eatery

    Gordon Ramsay opens Marina Bay Sands eatery

    TV superstar chef Gordon Ramsay has opened a brand new eatery at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands complicated.

    Bread Road Kitchen restaurant and bar gives basic British European fare in a energetic and bustling area dealing with the spectacular waterfront.

    Situated on the south promenade of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, the restaurant options an in depth menu that showcases British favourites reinvented by the multi-Michelin starred chef on the model’s London flagship.

    Ramsay stated he’s excited to open in Singapore as a result of its individuals are so enthusiastic about meals.

    “Bread Road Kitchen is a mixture of classic and trendy with an ever-changing menu, dishes impressed by native elements, and a lovely view of the waterfront and metropolis skyline.”

    Ramsay’s eatery joins 9 different movie star chef eating places in Marina Bay Sands: Adrift by David Myers, CUT by Wolfgang Puck, db Bistro & Oyster Bar by Daniel Boulud, Lengthy Chim by David Thompson, Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza by Mario Batali, Sky on 57 by Justin Quek, Spago by Wolfgang Puck (upcoming) and Waku Ghin by Tetsuya Wakuda.

    Designed by Wilson Associates’ Blueplate Studios, the two-storey restaurant and bar stays true to the model’s East London industrial roots. Nevertheless, the design group reinvented sure model parts to create a definite sense of place, beginning with the flooring and ceilings. The black and white tiled flooring are reworked into abstracted geometric patterns that add “a unusual playfulness” to the venue and assist distinguish the totally different eating environments. The ceilings on the bottom degree – resembling a woven orange checkered board – deliver heat and dimension to the glass enclosure.

    To additional obtain the eclectic industrial vibe, the furnishings, finishes and fixtures are a mixture of classic and trendy influences. Uncovered pipework, wire mesh, black mirrors, and vintage-inspired lighting and equipment complement the tufted banquets and dark-stained timber. Black and white photographs of St. Paul’s Cathedral hold on the wall, alluding to the situation of “Bread Road” inside the previous Metropolis of London. Additionally they improve the sense of nostalgia that makes the Bread Road Kitchen expertise novel, but acquainted.

    The primary entrance of the restaurant is a collaged walkway of genuine Singaporean manholes. These manholes are a playful reference to the precise ‘road’ in Bread Road Kitchen. To the left of the walkway sits the venue’s focus: the bar. The bar is a tribute to the mezzanine wine cellar within the London location. It’s a brasserie-industrial fusion comprised of native suar wooden and expanded mesh that’s bathed in subtle mild.

    The general design really feel is an eclectic industrial assortment of marble, bronze, combined timbers, and leather-based that creates an intimate, bespoke eating expertise for quite a lot of friends.

    Bread Road Kitchen’s signature dishes embrace Pork Stomach, Shepherd’s Pie and Roasted Veal Carpaccio, in addition to the BSK Burger, with melted Monterey Jack cheese and spicy sriracha mayo in a brioche bun.

  • LS Journey Retail opens chocolate expertise in Changi

    LS Journey Retail opens chocolate expertise in Changi

    LS Journey Retail, says its new chocolate retail ideas at Singapore’s Changi Airport have confirmed so profitable, the mannequin is being tailored for New York.

    The corporate, a part of Lagardere Group, engaged Retail Entry to design 4 shops in Terminal 2.

    The necessities: the shops needed to accommodate a big model portfolio, introduce improvements into the confectionery purchasing expertise, improve shopper engagement and differentiate two of the 4 shops with totally different branding. In complete, Retail Entry Singapore needed to design greater than 470 sqm of retail area.

    “One of many primary challenges was to create a transparent and organised, but inviting in-store navigation,” the design workforce explains.

    “So Chocolate shops carry a large number of manufacturers, so Retail Entry Singapore labored on categorising the manufacturers and making them straightforward for buyers to seek out.

    “One other problem was the Journey Retail setting and the right way to appeal to the busy travellers of an airport by growing the in-store dwell time. There was additionally a retailer structural constraint as a result of the most important retailer was open-ceiling and with no partitions.

    With 4 shops in the identical terminal, Changi Airport administration needed two manufacturers to keep away from sameness of retail supply. So the second model The Chocolatier was developed and a totally totally different retailer design created.

    As a class administration answer, the company created emotional messaging for every model’s class utilizing distinctive colors: Liked by all, Best Moments, Twinkles of pleasure, Tasty bites and Style of Singapore.

    Retail Entry Singapore leveraged the yellow color of So Chocolate branding by designing a well-lit ribbon pelmet to tug shopper’s consideration. Retail-tainment options have been additionally proposed to extend dwell time, by means of the “So Chocolate Selfie nook”, personalised gifting concepts and enjoyable buying via “buckets of pleasure”.

    Since Lagardere’s chocolate shops additionally carry their very own merchandise underneath the model of Style of Singapore, the group designed market-specific fixtures leveraging native touristic cues such because the Merlion and Singapore Flyer.

    Because the shops opened, the brand new design is attracting extra travellers than anticipated, and the typical basket measurement per shopper is greater than forecast.

    In consequence, the Singapore So Chocolate idea created by Retail Entry Singapore is at present being tailored by the Open D Group workplace in New York for introduction into JFK Airport – and can possible be exported to extra nations the place Lagardere operates journey retailing.

  • Tesco Malaysia to launch self-checkout lanes

    Tesco Malaysia to launch self-checkout lanes

    Tesco Malaysia has chosen NCR self-checkout know-how for introduction into its hypermarket community.

    The 2 corporations says the know-how will supply “a quicker and extra handy checkout choice” for its clients in Malaysia.

    “Clients will now have the liberty to scan, bag and pay for items themselves, with out having to attend in lengthy queues.” (Sure, the press assertion did say that; thus confirming Tesco has a customer support drawback – Ed).

    The Tesco retailer at IOI Metropolis Mall in Putrajaya, the chain’s latest, would be the website of the primary pilot deployment, to be adopted by Tesco KSL Metropolis in Johor.

    The NCR self-checkout answer works by a touchscreen that “intelligently guides consumers by way of the checkout course of with animated demonstrations for less complicated and quicker transactions”. NCR will present consulting, coaching and providers to make sure clean deployment.

    “We’re delighted to work with Tesco to increase the advantages of self-checkout to a different new market in Asia,” stated Michael Cawley, VP of Asia Pacific with NCR Retail.

    “By leveraging our strong international deployment experiences, we’re serving to retailers not solely to enhance their buyer providers and differentiate their in-store experiences, but in addition enhance their working prices.”

    Tesco first began utilizing NCR SelfServ checkout within the UK in 2002. The know-how is now out there at Tesco shops in Eire, the US, Central and Japanese Europe, South Korea and Thailand. NCR says its personal analysis exhibits self-checkout options can scale back wait occasions by as a lot as 40 per cent whereas almost two thirds of consumers say shops that provide the choice of self-checkout present higher buyer providers.

    NCR shipped extra self checkout models globally in 2014 than all different distributors mixed for the fifth consecutive yr, based on strategic analysis and consulting agency RBR.

  • Lafayette Gourmand China opens first flagship

    Lafayette Gourmand China opens first flagship

    French division retailer retailer Galeries Lafayette has opened its first Lafayette Gourmand China meals retailer – in Beijing.

    Lafayette Gourmand is actually a luxurious meals corridor serving meals to eat on website or take house.

    The flagship has a grocery store stocked with French gourmand meals and a 7000 sqm eating space that includes greater than 10 eating places serving worldwide cuisines. An estimated 80 per cent of the meals bought on website is imported from France.

    The shop is situated on the fifth flooring of the Galeries Lafayette division retailer, the corporate’s excessive profile debut property in China.

    Lafayette Group division retailer division government president Nicolas Houze just lately hosted a gap ceremony for the brand new foodie vacation spot.

    Based on China Retail News, the brand new gourmand retailer is the most important French imported meals specialty retailer within the Chinese language capital.

  • Astro GS Store Malaysia bullish on progress

    Astro GS Store Malaysia bullish on progress

    House buying channel Astro Malaysia says its gross sales have risen 50 per cent between the January and April quarters.

    Astro GS Store is a three way partnership between cable TV community operator Astro Malaysia and South Korean multimedia retailer GS Residence Purchasing Inc.

    Within the quarter to April 30, Astro says the TV buying channel achieved RM37 million in gross sales, or about US$10 million). That’s a full 50 per cent greater than within the three months to January 31.

    The channel was ‘soft-launched’ final November, with the 2 companions not sure how Malaysians would take to purchasing on TV, particularly given the viewers was restricted to pay TV subscribers.

    Between February and April, Astro GS Store bought 175,000 gadgets, 55,000 greater than between November and January.

    The numbers should be small in comparison with extra mature TV buying companies in Korea or Thailand, for instance, however it’s the momentum which is reassuring the three way partnership companions.

    “I feel the traction is sweet,” Astro GS Store CEO Rozalila Abdul Rahman advised Digital News Asia.

    “Once we had our delicate launch in November final yr, we didn’t know whether or not the market was prepared. So there was no promoting push in any respect – we simply went on the air, and we began to see lots of people calling in.”

    Astro says its buyer database expanded from 75,000 to 160,000 through the newest quarter.

    The JV operated underneath the model Go Store on a 24-seven devoted channel on Astro’s pay TV platform, in addition to on web and cellular platforms.

    Rozhan predicted final yr that Malaysia’s eCommerce sector can be value RM3.6 billion (US$960 million) by 2020.

    After the early success of Go Store, Astro GS Store is planning to launch a second channel aimed toward Malaysian Chinese language residents.

    “We hope Astro GS Store is ready to hit RM150 million (US$40 million) in income this monetary yr. In 5 years, we hope we will develop income to RM500 million (US$133 million),” she stated.

  • Ikea Korea in pricing highlight

    Ikea Korea in pricing highlight

    The costs of couches and wardrobes bought by Ikea Korea, the native unit of Swedish furnishings big, are 15-20 per cent larger than these in different nations, a ballot exhibits.

    The survey by native shopper advocacy group Shopper Analysis confirmed that the worth of 126 merchandise bought within the nation averaged 522,717 gained (US$471.80), which is 15-20 per cent larger in contrast with the fee in Germany, Japan and the US.

    The typical worth was the bottom in Japan at 437,578 gained, adopted by Germany with 453,737 gained and the US with 455,344 gained. They have been calculated utilizing the overseas trade charges on June 15 and solely embrace merchandise which are bought in all 4 markets.

    Costs of some 100 particular person merchandise bought in South Korea have been costlier that these within the three different nations, the report confirmed.

    A Shopper Analysis official stated that merchandise with worth tags larger than 100,000 gained have been usually bought at a better value than in different nations, whereas low-end gadgets have been cheaper in South Korea.

    Ikea Korea refuted the survey outcomes, saying that it considers a mixture of elements, together with overseas change, inventory and tariff charges, in setting costs in every nation.

    The Swedish furnishings model has been embroiled in numerous shopper grievance instances since its native debut in December. A lot of the complaints have been concerning the worth gaps in contrast with different markets, whereas a map product labeling the East Sea because the Sea of Japan additionally sparked backlash in February this yr amid fraying ties between Seoul and Tokyo.

  • SSI to launch Joe Recent Philippines

    SSI to launch Joe Recent Philippines

    SSI subsidiary Shops Specialists has obtained the franchise for the Joe Recent style model within the Philippines.

    SSI will open a sequence of Joe Recent Philippines shops underneath licence from Loblaw, the Canadian retail big which owns the model.

    The primary shops will open subsequent yr, ranging attire, equipment, footwear and wonder merchandise for ladies, males and youngsters.

    “Joe Recent additional strengthens our lineup of worth manufacturers, permitting us to faucet and delight a fair broader base of Philippine shoppers,” SSI President Anthony T. Huang stated in a press release.

    With 350 shops in Canada, Joe Recent began increasing outdoors North America in 2014, opening shops with companions in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the UAE.

    “We’re happy to introduce Joe Recent to the increasing Philippines retail panorama,” Joe Recent president Mario Grauso stated.

    SSI, mum or dad of the Rustan Group, additionally owns the FamilyMart and Wellworth retail operations within the Philippines.

  • Dior Seoul flagship opens doorways

    Dior Seoul flagship opens doorways

    Luxurious style label Dior has opened a shocking flagship retailer in South Korea’s capital which we assure is like nothing you’ve seen anyplace on the planet ever earlier than…

    Designed by Christian de Portzamparc, the six storey Dior Seoul retailer contains a curvaceous white exterior barely harking back to an enormous enamel tooth.

    And inside is “a wealth of surprises” as Dior places it.

    In a decor made from wooden, lacquers, leathers, superb weaves and progressive melanges to excite the senses, inside designer Peter Marino has chosen to welcome guests with a suspended sculpture by Korean artist Lee Bul. The staircase is conceived as an unfurling ribbon that guides buyers to the ladies’s ready-to-wear collections, leather-based items, footwear, jewelry, watches and perfumes.

    But in addition to the Dior Homme area, and to an artwork gallery with a personal salon the place work by Marc Polidori, amongst others, are on present.

    The highest flooring is residence to the Café Dior by Pierre Hermé. “This new, full-sized location completely evokes the historical past of the Home in probably the most modern of visions,” says Dior.

    The Dior Seoul flagship, which opened on Saturday (June 20), is situated on a nook website within the Gangnam-gu district. It’s open every single day from 11am-8pm.

  • Coach heads to India

    Coach heads to India

    US style model Coach is to enter India with unique retail shops.

    The corporate has reportedly chosen Genesis Luxurious as its companion, based mostly in Gurgaon. Nevertheless on the time of writing no official assertion had been made by both firm.

    Genesis is reportedly buying inventory with a view to opening the primary standalone Coach retailer in Mumbai or Delhi.

    Coach, based in 1941, is predicated in New York, though its shares are additionally traded on the Hong Kong inventory trade.

    Apart from its personal stand alone shops, Coach sells its womens style and equipment by way of department shops, airport concessions and on-line in 35 worldwide markets.

  • Homelegance China in retailer rollout

    Homelegance China in retailer rollout

    Homelegance China plans to confide in 30 shops a yr because the US model builds its Chinese language model consciousness.

    The corporate opened its first China retailer within the metropolis of Tianjin in Might and by the top of August may have six shops buying and selling in complete. By the top of October it expects to increase to 11 and from then on it plans between 20 and 30 new shops will open yearly.

    Homelegance needs to focus on China’s center class with its assortment of predominantly picket bed room, dwelling, eating and workplace furnishings.

    The inaugural Tianjin retailer is a 30,000 sqft franchise opened in a specialist furnishings shopping center, Pink Star Macalline. It’s operated by Li ShiGuang. Tianjin is the situation of Homelegance’s 260,000 sqft warehouse which can provide shops within the rising community.

    Homelegance will licence shops in China to make sure it has native operators who perceive the native markets it enters.

    “We all know that to develop we should look past our conventional US borders to turn out to be the worldwide chief we all know we might be,” Jamie Collins, government VP of Homelegance USA, advised Furnishings At present.

    “There isn’t any higher place for us to focus our efforts than in China. Past constructing a model in China we all know that our new licensees in China will take pleasure in what our retail companions in North America have already skilled, worthwhile positive factors via the sale of Homelegance merchandise.”

    Collins stated the demand for American designs amongst Chinese language is rising yearly.

    “We’ll current Homelegance as a premier way of life model that represents the perfect of what the Chinese language shopper is on the lookout for.”

  • Oriental Watch profit plummets

    Oriental Watch profit plummets

    Listed retailer Oriental Watch Holdings says its net profit fell 78 per cent in the year to March.

    The company, which had issued a profit warning earlier in the year, has been hit by the slump in demand for luxury watches from mainland Chinese, in turn a result of the mainland government’s clampdown on gift giving.

    OWH says its net profit fell to HK$5 million, (US$641,000) on turnover down 11 per cent to around HK$3.11 billion.

    The company said luxury brand shoppers had changed preferences and attitudes and blamed slimmer margins on intense competition from watch retailers competing for a shrinking customer base.

    Oriental Watch has 68 stores in mainland China, 13 in Hong Kong, three in Macau and three in Taiwan.

  • West Elm Philippines makes debut

    West Elm Philippines makes debut

    West Elm Philippines, the furniture chain of Williams Sonoma, has opened its first store in Manila.

    The store, located in the new Estancia Mall at Capitol Commons, Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City. It will compete with Crate & Barrel, which made its Philippines debut last year, and complement another Williams Sonoma brand Pottery Barn.

    While skewed towards complete furniture solutions, West Elm also stocks a comprehensive range of homewares. It positions itself as creating “unique and affordable designs for modern living”.

    One standout feature of West Elm Philippines is that it works with local Filipino producers to stock their products, not just imported goods.

    Among locals to feature in the store are Filipino Capiz Artisans, a co-op of family owned businesses preserving traditional capiz handcrafts, including Capiz Chandelier and Pendant lighting; Filipino Weavers, known for their skilled weaving, braiding, twisting and knits using innovative techniques passed down through generations to create braided storage containers; and Santo Tomas Potters, Pampanga-based creators of hand-thrown, hand-cast and hand-painted ceramics.

    Jim Brett, president of West Elm, said he believes there is “a tremendous appetite for well-designed, finely crafted home goods and furnishings” in the Philippines.

    The 7000 sqft store has opened showcasing the brand’s summer collection which includes furniture, bedding, bathroom accessories, rugs, window textiles and hardware, lighting, decorative accessories, dining, kitchen products, and gifts. It also offers services at Design Lab, where customers can partner with design specialists for complimentary consultations and space planning sessions.

    West Elm currently has 71 retail stores in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. The Philippines is its first Asia market, and it has an unaffiliated franchisee operating stores in the Middle East.

  • Korean online malls draw global shoppers

    Korean online malls draw global shoppers

    The number of customers using Korean online malls is sharply increasing not just in China and North America, but in new markets around the globe.

    SimpleX Internet, which runs Korean eCommerce solutions specialist cafe24, says Korean cross-border shopping malls are tapping into markets in Southeast Asia, Europe, South America and Australia.

    President Lee Jae-suk says while making the best use of the online environment that provides an easy way to reach customers around the world compared with the offline market, many Korean shopping malls have had success from customising their website experience and offer to each country.

    Funny Love, an online shopping mall specialising in ‘family looks’ has become so successful online, it opened an offline shop in Kazakhstan recently. This is the outcome of the cross-border shopping mall that has drawn great attention among local consumers since 2013. The company’s belief that ‘Korean style family look’ would fit perfectly into the sentiment of Asian people has come true, and thus, the expansion of their sales channels to Vietnam and Singapore.

    Mother’s Corn which specialises in eco-friendly tableware for children, made from plant materials, has acquired the strict CE mark and the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices certificate through its own manufacturing technology. As a result, this has enabled the company to make inroad into markets in over 10 countries in Southeast Asia and Europe, including the Philippines, Indonesia, France, Poland and Germany. It has doubled its overseas sales as of May of this year compared with the same period last year.

    President Kim Mi-jin explained: “We won the trust of consumers around the world by providing details of the products using various online contents. We will expand the demand in Europe by releasing new products such as dishwashers.”

    Jam Studio, the design props dealer, boosted its business through cross-border shopping mall targeting Southeast Asia. Even slightly more expensive products are selling well due to the popularity of the Korean Wave in Southeast Asia. The customised marketing using Social Networking Services (SNS) such as Facebook and Instagram also played a part.

    In addition, shopping malls carrying environment-friendly organic products for Canadian and Australian consumers and those carrying moisturising cream for consumers in hot regions of Southeast Asia are also examples of marketing based on the characteristics of each country.

    Language is no barrier for consumers using Korean crossover shopping malls around the globe. Korean companies setting up cross-border shopping malls through cafe24 can do so in English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese through cafe24, and French and German will be available within this year as well.

    “7 billion people around the world are purchasing Korean products through the experienced eCommerce infrastructure,” said Lee Jae-suk of cafe24 parent SimpleX Internet.

    “Korean cross-border shopping malls will strengthen their competitive edge with strategies customised to each country.”

  • Diane von Furstenberg Singapore’s new store

    Diane von Furstenberg Singapore’s new store

    The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is home to Diane von Furstenberg Singapore’s newest store.

    Securing the famous luxury lifestyle brand, founded by Diane in 1970, adds to The Shoppes’ reputation as Singapore’s leading luxury shopping destination.

    Diane von Furstenberg will offer a full collection of ready-to-wear and accessories including handbags, shoes, small leather goods, scarves and jewellery at the new store, including exclusive items not available in its other two boutiques in the city.

    “The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is such a vibrant, landmark luxury shopping destination,it is the perfect place for us to expand our presence in Singapore,” said von Furstenberg.

    The new store, which spans 1300 sqft, is located at B2-18, Canal Level.

    The first Shoppes-exclusive item is a DVF Brookes Parka is a leopard green paper habotai hooded parka lined with a detachable and reversible leopard printed lamb fur (Priced at S$7,460).